11 Things to Do in Hotel Quarantine to Fight Off the Boredom

No one is excited by the idea of hotel quarantine. Being stuck indoors for an extended stay isn’t fun no matter where you are. But having to do your quarantine in a random hotel room strips you of any familiar home comforts. You can’t sleep in your own bed, make your own food or entertain yourself as you normally would. The first two may be out of your control, but you can at least decide on things to do in hotel quarantine that suit you.

Keeping Busy in Hotel Quarantine

Now, distractions and keeping busy are important when in hotel quarantine. Trust me; I’m in hotel quarantine as I write this. Time really crawls as you’re waiting to be let out. You have nowhere to be and nowhere to go. Some might think that lying in bed watching Netflix is the perfect way to go. Others might go all in on work and see that as the only way to be productive. But I think both approaches will get old quick and end up just compounding the boredom.

To my mind, variety is the key. Doing a mix of different things gives you choices and helps break up the day into more manageable chunks. But to have that variety, you’ll need a selection of activities to fill your daily schedule.

So I thought I’d share the ideas I’ve come up with, taking some inspiration from activity programs like this one from the Victorian Government. Here’s what to do in hotel quarantine to fight off your boredom, since this form of quarantine looks like it will be a fixture of travel for the foreseeable future.

A Little Exercise

When you’re held in a relatively small space for what could be 14 days, it’s going to be a very inactive two weeks. A day that alternates between lying, sitting and walking a few steps to the bathroom won’t burn off the food you’re eating. That is unless you make the effort to do something about it. 

Exercising in your hotel room is going to be a bit limiting yes, but it can still take several different forms. The most basic is to simply pace across the room back and forth to raise your step count. I can manage 15 steps from one end of the room to the other, which I repeat at various points throughout the day.

A more vigorous option is to do some form of home workout. There are endless online resources for these sorts of body-weight workouts that don’t require equipment. A proper workout session is sure to get your heartrate up and feel a little less lethargic.

Yoga and Stretching

Another downside of being relatively inactive is that you can develop all sorts of stiffness and discomfort from sitting and lying too long. To combat that, it helps to allow some time each day to stretch out your muscles – your back in particular.

Going a little further with this, you might want to consider dedicating part of your day to yoga. Practicing yoga takes you beyond just stretching because it also involves elements like mindfulness and meditation. Spend some time doing yoga and you’ll find it easier to deal with the mix of obvious and subtle stresses that come with quarantine.

If, like me, you’re a complete novice when it comes to yoga, there are some great online resources you can look at. There are even free courses on government websites like this one at Wellbeing Victoria, that will take you through it.

Learn a Language

Something like learning a language is perfect when looking for things to do in hotel quarantine. You want activities that are constructive and engaging to keep you occupied and mastering a new language fits the bill to a tee. 

I’ve been a bit lazy in the last year with my language practice, so this has been a great opportunity to get back into it. Using Duolingo, I’ve gone back to improve my very basic Spanish and it’s currently one of my favourite activities. Not only is it a life skill but it’s travel related, so really a win-win.

Read and Read Some More

For bookworms, I can’t think of a better time to get lots of reading done than quarantine. Lots of time and very little in the way of interruptions creates a perfect environment for reading. It will be a little harder if you prefer the old school approach of paper and ink. There are only so many paperbacks one can fit in luggage.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be books and novels that you read, physical or otherwise. Perhaps you could spend more time reading about global events and dig deeper on current affairs. Or you could explore the depths of articles on a blog you like, *hint hint*. 

Listen to Podcasts

An activity similar to reading that engages another of your senses is listening to podcasts. While listening to music works too, podcasts feel a little more engaging and can be quite thought-provoking when done well. I’m usually a casual listener to podcasts, but have been found them good value over the last week in hotel quarantine.

If you’re looking for travel-related podcasts, two that I’ve started listening to and quite enjoy are the Travel Goals Podcast and How Not to Travel. They’re good if you feel like thinking a little deeper about travel as a concept or just want to be entertained. Find them on Spotify, iTunes or wherever else you get podcasts I guess.

Online Courses

Perhaps the most productive activity on this list, online courses are a great way to feel a sense of achievement during quarantine. The courses don’t necessarily need to be towards a formal qualification; it’s more important that they interest you in some way either professionally or personally. Just look at sites like Skillshare or Udemy for countless options.

I had a broad collection of online courses and resources saved away from earlier in the year that I now have time to work through. Not all of them have been as relevant as I had hoped to travel blogging and travel writing, but it’s been good to be able sort through them nonetheless. I don’t normally have the time for such things, so it’s been nice to think about my work in a different light for a bit.

Catch up with People

One of the hardest parts of being stuck in quarantine is that it’s an isolating experience. You feel cut off from the world, even with modern technology at your disposal. It’s especially harder if you’re quarantining by yourself. Much like during lockdown, it’s worth taking the time to chat and check in with people.

Whether it’s trading emails, messages or calling them it’s worth making the effort to talk to people. And if there’s that worry in the back of your head, know that they certainly won’t mind. They may even be more likely to reach out when they know you’re cut-off like this.

Be Creative

Now, this is one activity that I must admit I have not done during my time in quarantine. I am not a person with any artistic skill and wouldn’t even know where to start with something like this. That said, I have read that activities like  drawing, doodling and adult colouring books are a great way to pass the time in quarantine and lockdown.

You might need to plan this one a little in advance to have the right equipment. However, you could possibly ask the hotel staff to see what they might have to offer you.

Try Journaling

In a way, journaling is the writer’s equivalent of drawing and doodling, allowing you to clear your mind by putting words on paper. Whether you do it in a notebook, diary or in a notes app, journaling helps you process the experience and appreciate the situation in a wider context.

There’s a few ways you can choose to approach your journal and no real right or wrong way to go about it. One way is to do it as a record of what you’ve been up to while locked away. Alternatively, you can focus on the future and express what you’re looking forward to when you leave the hotel. Maybe even combine both approaches; it’s totally up to you.

Follow-up on Chores

It may not be the most fun thing to do, but what about tackle some of the chores or tasks you’ve been putting off? I had plenty of little things I had to sort out having come back after a while overseas. Do them now and you won’t have to worry about them when you’re out and free.

If you can’t think of any, how about clean out your email inbox and help fight climate change?

What do those two things have in common you might ask? Unread emails sitting in your mailbox chew up energy as they’re stored in data centres. That energy used to store your unread emails contributes to carbon emissions. So by cleaning out your inbox, you’re not only decluttering it for the future but helping reduce your carbon footprint.

Silly Games and Activities

Most of these quarantine activities have been quite serious or meaningful and that’s all well and good. But it’s okay to err on the silly side of things as well if it makes life more enjoyable. So why not come up with some totally meaningless games or activities with all that free time you have?

For me, it’s been playing paper toss. Crumple up some paper, set up the “clean” rubbish bin and practice your aim. Step away from the bin each time you get it in or even move around the room. It’s a great way to kill time and also tricks you into moving around the room. Other ideas include building a house of cards or a blanket fort with your spare towels and linen. These are especially good for kids in quarantine, but we’re all allowed to be a little juvenile sometimes, right?

Tips for Hotel Quarantine

• While I have put a focus on being productive during quarantine, it’s important that you put your mental health first. If you’re simply not up to some of these things that’s totally ok. Do what you need to do and be kind to yourself above all.
• If you have the choice, I suggest lying in bed as little as possible. Try to move about and sit in different spots, even if it’s just on the edge of your bed.
• Take this time away from the outside world to deal with your jetlag. It’ll be harder if you don’t have easy access to natural light, but being in quarantine you are free from regular day-to-day commitments.
• Try your best to keep to regular routine activities like showering, meal times and changing clothes once you’ve adjusted to the time zone. Aiming for normal will make the experience slightly less weird.

Have you experienced time in hotel quarantine or quarantine away from home? What did you do to to keep yourself occupied at the time? Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.